Appeal hearing for Pritam Singh's conviction, sentence set for Nov 4, Singapore News
Singh's lawyer Andre Jumabhoy told The Straits Times that the hearing will be on Nov 4 at 10am.
Singh was fined a total of $14,000 in February after the court found him guilty on two counts of lying under oath to a parliamentary committee.
He had said earlier that he would appeal his conviction and sentence, which is the maximum fine for each charge.
After a 13-day trial in October 2024, Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan in his judgement ruled that Singh had "wilfully" lied to the Committee of Privileges about how he dealt with the untruth that former WP MP Raeesah Khan told in Parliament on Aug 3, 2021.
Khan had lied about accompanying a sexual assault victim to a police station and repeated the false claim in Parliament on Oct 4 the same year.
Despite Singh's sentencing, he was able to contest in the General Election on May 3 as his penalties did not meet the threshold to be disqualified.
Singh was part of a five-member WP slate that was re-elected in Aljunied GRC after beating the People's Action Party with 59.68 per cent of the vote share.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong later confirmed that Singh will remain as Leader of the Opposition after retaining his seat.
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chingshijie@asiaone.com
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Straits Times
21 hours ago
- Straits Times
A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S'pore
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Synthetic drugs and vapes are seeing high demand, supply and easy accessibility. Can enhanced enforcement alone work to prevent an epidemic? Health Sciences Authority officers conducted raids in Bishan (top row) in July, and in Yishun (bottom row) in June. SINGAPORE - When Joe (not his real name) wanted a vaping fix, the 15-year-old would whip out his phone, scan through a series of Telegram groups and pick a seller based on price. A 'delivery man' would be near his home with an e-vaporiser laced with etomidate – an anaesthetic – within two hours. It was that easy, the teenager said. 'It was honestly very difficult to quit. Some of my friends brought their Kpods to school, and they would ask if I wanted to use them. 'We would usually just hang out in the toilets to vape, miss classes and get high,' said Joe, whose parents gave him permission to speak to The Straits Times. They wanted his story to serve as a warning to others about the addictive nature of Kpods. Checks by ST showed that Kpods, along with e-vaporisers laced with synthetic cannabinoids, are sold openly on messaging platform Telegram. The sellers list the items according to flavours, and the waiting time was usually within two hours, as Joe described. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Critical infrastructure in S'pore under attack by cyber espionage group: Shanmugam Singapore What is UNC3886, the group that attacked Singapore's critical information infrastructure? Singapore Alleged Kpod peddler filmed trying to flee raid in Bishan charged with 6 offences Asia Indonesia court jails former trade minister for 4½ years in sugar graft case Singapore Singapore police in contact with Indonesian authorities over baby trafficking allegations Singapore NTU upholds zero grade for student accused of using AI in essay; panel found 14 false citations or data Singapore 7-year-old girl, cabby taken to hospital after vehicle pile-up in City Hall area Singapore Former NUH male nurse charged after he allegedly molested man at hospital During a Health Sciences Authority (HSA) operation on July 10 that ST covered, an alleged Kpod seller had turned up in Bishan Street 13 within an hour of the order. He was subsequently cornered by enforcement officers, who seized 28 vape devices and 814 vape pods. ST understands the majority of the pods may be Kpods. Kpod users and sellers are often young. On June 23, a 22-year-old alleged user and seller was caught in her residence in Yishun Avenue 6. With vaping on the rise in Singapore and around the world, experts said the issue is concerning as Kpods could be a gateway to drugs. The issue is compounded by a regional boom in drug production, easy access to vape devices as well as an increasingly permissive attitude towards vaping and drug-taking among younger people here. Mr Gopal Mahey, senior counsellor at the Centre for Psychotherapy, said it is now common to hear of 13- or 14-year-olds who vape regularly. Many of his clients are aged between 15 and 25, and started vaping in secondary school. 'What's concerning is that they often pick up vaping before they've formed a sense of emotional regulation, healthy coping tools or good decision-making,' he said. He added that vaping can become an emotional crutch. 'It's not just about curiosity, it's also about soothing boredom, managing stress or blending in. That's why the age drop is so troubling. 'You're embedding avoidance behaviours before the person even learns to tolerate discomfort or regulate emotions.' Health Sciences Authority officers counting vaping devices seized during a raid for suspected vape distribution at a residence in Yishun on June 23. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI According to the US National Centre for Health Statistics, people aged 18 to 24 were most likely to use e-cigarettes among all adults in 2021. In the same year, 69 per cent of vape users in Britain were 11 to 17 years old. A study by the Health Promotion Board published in June showed that despite Singapore's total ban on e-vaporisers since 2018, adoption among youth has risen. The authors said it has 'been driven by emerging but incomplete evidence of harms, counter-narratives from the tobacco industry, and the pervasive influence of social media'. There were 2,000 cases of students including those from institutes of higher learning (IHLs) reported for possessing or using e-vaporisers in 2024. This is up from 800 cases in 2022, and 900 cases in 2023. A study by the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, found a 'conspicuous vaping culture among young people' in Singapore. The researchers noted that despite its illegal status, vaping was perceived as appealing due to the novelty flavours, ease of use and convenient access. ST ILLUSTRATION: MANNY FRANCISCO Dr Sharen Tian, a family physician at Raffles Medical, said Kpods have added complexity to the vaping issue. 'The emergence of illicit substances like etomidate in e-vaporisers has intensified concerns, as these products are often marketed discreetly, making them accessible to younger demographics,' she added. Former Jurong GRC MP Tan Wu Meng, who had previously brought up the vaping issue in Parliament, said the scourge is concerning as Kpods could be a gateway for users to try harder drugs. Permissive attitude The vaping surge is emerging amid a concerning trend in Singapore – an increasingly permissive attitude towards drug taking. A survey by the National Council Against Drug Abuse in 2020 found that about 18 per cent of those aged 18 to 30 thought that it was all right to try drugs as long as one does not get addicted. A separate study published in 2022, which public opinion company YouGov did in collaboration with ST, showed that those aged between 18 and 24 were more likely to have their views on drugs shaped by social media and pop culture than their elders. Figures from the Central Narcotics Bureau, released in February 2025, showed that despite a slight fall in the total number of drug abusers arrested in 2024, there was a 30 per cent surge in new drug abusers arrested who were under 20 years old. New abusers below the age of 30 accounted for more than half of all new cases for the second year in a row. Methamphetamine, or Ice, remained the drug of choice in 2024 for those below 20 years old. A 2022 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) found that drug abuse among youth had reached record levels in many countries. The number of deaths worldwide associated with drug abuse also rose over the years, reaching about half a million deaths in 2019. Worrying reports of a boom in the production of drugs, including the synthetic variants, in South-east Asia have emerged against this backdrop. The UNODC, in a report in May, said the illicit manufacture and trafficking of synthetic drugs from the Golden Triangle, an area where north-eastern Myanmar meets parts of Thailand and Laos, have grown exponentially. There has also been a rise in the illicit manufacture of pharmaceutical products, especially etomidate and its analogues, which the UNODC said is designed to evade controls on novel substances, or what Singapore refers to as new psychoactive substances (NPS). The report notes the growing availability of synthetic and 'semi-synthetic' cannabinoids in vaping products in countries worldwide. An earlier UNODC report revealed that organised crime groups were manufacturing several etomidate analogues, which have been identified in East and South-east Asian countries, after the jurisdictions introduced regulations to address the non-medical use of etomidate. Etomidate first appeared in significant amounts in China after synthetic cannabinoids were scheduled as a controlled drug there, according to the UNODC. The increase in the illicit use of pharmaceutical products came about as drug suppliers sought substitutes for mainstream drugs such as methamphetamine and heroin, sometimes to get around emerging drug controls of NPS. Yio Chu Kang MP Yip Hon Weng highlighted the natural progression in the cat-and-mouse game between syndicates and the authorities. 'Drug-laced vapes – whether it's Kpods with etomidate, or pods infused with cannabis or ketamine – are the next frontier,' he added. Some of the vaping devices and e-liquids found in a car by Health Sciences Authority officers during a sting operation targeting vaping offences at a carpark in Bishan Street 13 on July 10. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO Dr John Shepherd Lim, chief well-being officer of the Singapore Counselling Centre, sees more young people who use vapes and Kpods, some as young as 13 years old. 'They start out with vapes laced with nicotine, then they move to Kpods, which has etomidate. It's a matter of time before syndicates and suppliers lace vape devices with cocaine and heroin,' he said. 'Other countries have it, which means it may be an issue that Singapore may soon have to deal with,' he added. The UNODC said that in Singapore, HSA has reported tracing synthetic cannabinoids, methamphetamine and ketamine in e-vaporisers that were seized. Most of the vapes sold in Singapore arrive from overseas, including via the land checkpoints. They are easily available online, despite efforts by the authorities to clamp down on listings. From January 2024 to March 2025, over 6,800 online listings of vapes and their related components were removed from e-commerce and social media platforms – more than double the 3,100 listings removed in 2023. Those platforms included Facebook, Instagram and Carousell, but not Telegram. HSA said in July that more than 600 Telegram groups advertising or selling vapes and Kpods to Singaporeans have been taken down since April 2024. Yet vape sales persist on Telegram, with channels reaching more than 27,000 members. ST and HSA contacted sellers who advertised the sale of 'Kpods' on Telegram on July 10. PHOTO: ST The dangers of Kpods Assistant Professor Yvette van der Eijk from NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health said the addition of etomidate in e-vaporisers is 'very concerning', as the anaesthetic can cause loss of consciousness, respiratory depression and other serious damage. 'It is also not clear how etomidate, or other drugs added into vaping products, interact with other ingredients in vapes,' she said. 'It is important to consider these too as these interactions can result in deadly cocktails,' she added. Dr Clare Anne Fong, associate consultant at the Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at the National University Hospital and Alexandra Hospital, said etomidate on its own is not considered very addictive, especially when compared with opioids or benzodiazepines, which are depressants, as it does not activate the brain's dopamine reward system directly. However, she noted that Kpods also contain nicotine, which is very addictive as it stimulates the reward system of the brain. 'Because nicotine is inhaled with etomidate, and etomidate alters one's level of consciousness (similar to a 'high'), Kpods are likely more addictive than traditional vapes,' said Dr Fong. There are no known reports of deaths directly linked to the use of laced e-vaporisers in Singapore. But a report published by the HSA's Forensic Medicine Division in 2019 showed that there were four fatal cases related to the use of NPS here since 2016. The addition of etomidate in e-vaporisers is 'very concerning' as the anaesthetic can cause loss of consciousness, respiratory depression and other serious damage. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO In Britain, Professor Christopher Pudney of the University of Bath said schoolchildren have unknowingly smoked vapes spiked with synthetic drugs. Prof Pudney and his team of researchers found that out of 596 confiscated vapes tested across 38 schools there, one in six contained Spice, or synthetic cannabinoids. Vaping is regulated in Britain, where it is illegal to sell vapes to anyone under 18. But studies have shown that young people there start using e-vaporisers from between the ages of 13 and 16. Prof Pudney said that so far, nobody has died from using vapes containing drugs despite reports of students collapsing in schools. 'The saving grace was this happened in schools, and there were plenty of people around to raise the alarm. There were trained first-aiders and adults present,' the biotechnology expert said. 'The worst case that I've heard is of this person who stopped breathing. That's the worst. That's the closest to death.' In Singapore, the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) was amended to address attempts to circumvent regulations around NPS. Parliament passed amendments in 2023 that allowed NPS to be regulated based on their effects rather than specific chemical structures. Those who contaminate or lace substances with NPS can also be convicted under the MDA. Mr Yip said: 'One step behind is one step too late. The drug syndicates know this – that's why they're constantly tweaking formulas to bypass regulations and avoid detection. 'We need to outpace them. One possible suggestion would be to put in place a blanket scheduling mechanism, so once a new compound is flagged, it can be swiftly classified under the law – without waiting a long time for approval.' Tackling the scourge Sembawang GRC MP Vikram Nair, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Home Affairs and Law, said the issue of drug-laced vapes in Singapore cannot be tackled by enforcement alone. 'There are things the agencies can do to shut down the Telegram channels selling vapes and action can be taken against the sellers. But education is such an important component as well. I suspect many teens who vape may not understand how serious it is,' he said. Anti-vaping campaigns like ST's Vaping: The Invisible Crisis will certainly help inform the public, Mr Nair added. 'Ultimately, three factors need to come together for this to work: the laws, the enforcement of laws, and education.' Ms Mariam Jaafar, who chairs the GPC for Health, said it was troubling to see the rise in vaping among young people. 'There are some misleading narratives that vaping is safe, that it can help smokers quit, for example. Such relaxed attitudes can open the door to more serious drug abuse. We can't let it take root,' she added. Ms Mariam, also an MP for Sembawang GRC, said there is a strong case to be made for the Ministry of Home Affairs to consider classifying etomidate under the MDA. Like Mr Nair, she called for greater education in schools and in the community and more support for those trying to quit vaping. From January 2024 to March 2025, about 2,600 students were referred to HSA by schools and IHLs for vaping. The Ministry of Health and HSA have informed medical practitioners that they should get patients to surrender their e-vaporisers and consider sending their urine samples for testing. Medical practitioners and public healthcare institutions have also been told to record all suspected and confirmed etomidate-linked vaping cases. Meanwhile, schools have sent advisories to parents through Parents Gateway, an app that connects parents and schools on key administrative matters. The advisory features warnings of the dangers of vaping and offers guidance on how parents can protect their children. Mr Yip agreed that more can be done. 'Singapore already has some of the world's toughest drug laws. But as the landscape evolves, so must our legal tools.' He added: 'There is perhaps scope to go further – for example, by explicitly including combo drug-vape products under the Misuse of Drugs Act, and granting the Central Narcotics Bureau clearer jurisdiction the moment drug traces are detected.'
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
South African water polo player Matthew Neser crowdfunds to compete at World Aquatics C'ships
South Africa's Matthew Neser in action against Italy in the group stage of the World Aquatics Championships men's water polo competition. SINGAPORE – While the top water polo nations' expenses for the July 11-Aug 3 World Aquatics Championships (WCH) are taken care of by their respective associations, the South African men's team had to pay their own way to Singapore. In particular, Matthew Neser had to traverse three continents and 'swimming a marathon' to compete at the OCBC Aquatic Centre. After scoring once in his team's 27-4 loss to Australia in the 13th-16th semi-finals on July 18, the 23-year-old told The Straits Times: 'We had to pay 38,000 rand (S$2,800) each, which was quite a lot, so I created the crowdfunding page in May to cover the costs of travel, accommodation and tournament fees. 'As someone who has always believed in earning everything through hard work, I never imagined I'd be in a position to ask for help like this. But, with such short notice and limited resources, I reached out to my community, friends and supporters as a last resort.' Committing to swim one metre for every rand raised, Neser received 42,000 rand and swam 42km in an outdoor pool at his club in Barcelona. Beyond the fund-raising, he has come a long way since he started playing water polo at age nine after being influenced by his older brothers Dylan and Jamie. After making his 'life-changing' WCH debut in 2024, he was inspired to quit his jobs – one as a salesman and one with an artificial intelligence company – to pursue water polo full time, as he joined Spanish side Club Natacio Catalunya. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Critical infrastructure in S'pore under attack by cyber espionage group: Shanmugam Singapore What is UNC3886, the group that attacked Singapore's critical information infrastructure? Singapore Alleged Kpod peddler filmed trying to flee raid in Bishan charged with 6 offences Asia Indonesia court jails former trade minister for 4½ years in sugar graft case Singapore Singapore police in contact with Indonesian authorities over baby trafficking allegations Singapore NTU upholds zero grade for student accused of using AI in essay; panel found 14 false citations or data Singapore 7-year-old girl, cabby taken to hospital after vehicle pile-up in City Hall area Singapore Former NUH male nurse charged after he allegedly molested man at hospital While Neser shared that water polo is popular in South Africa – 'every school's main sport is rugby and water polo' – the support and infrastructure is still lagging behind the European powerhouses. To play at the WCH Singapore, one of his teammates also had to organise a raffle and auction four personal items to raise funds. He added: 'We still play part time, we practise three times a week, and if we are lucky, we get in a game once a week... we could definitely do much better to get good systems in place to build and strengthen the sport.' What drives the South African players is the chance to compete at the Olympics, after they found out on social media that they were withdrawn by Swimming South Africa despite qualifying for Paris 2024. Romania and Canada replaced them in the men and women's competitions respectively. Neser said: 'When we got pulled out, it was a big blow. But my goal has always been to go to the Olympics, and water polo keeps me accountable and my head sane, so maybe another four years is good for me. I enjoy the sport, and the process and build-up to the Olympics is fun.' The South Africans will meet Singapore on July 20 in a battle to avoid the wooden spoon, after the hosts lost 21-8 to Asian Games silver medallists China, who will play Australia in the 13th-14th play-off. Shaunn Lok, who scored twice in front of home fans that included students from Bedok South Secondary School and Waterway Primary School, said: 'Today's team result is an improvement from the Asian championships (where China won 24-8), but we still have a lot to prove and this team is more capable than what today's scoreline shows. 'We can't beat China overnight, so little by little, every chance we get to play them, we want to be able to exceed our expectations or improve from our last game. 'We'll definitely try to get a victory in our last game. We're playing for our family, for ourselves and to show we are not just a 'joke team' here and we are a team to take seriously in the future, and even now. That's what we want to showcase against South Africa.' Meanwhile, in the crossover matches, Olympic champions and world No. 5 Serbia beat 12th-ranked Japan 21-14 to set up a last-eight showdown against the sixth-ranked Americans. The other July 20 quarter-final match-ups will see defending champions and top-ranked Croatia meeting world No. 3 Hungary, who beat the 14th-ranked Romania 15-11; world No. 2 Spain taking on world No. 8 Montenegro, who beat 13th-ranked Canada 22-10; and world No. 7 Italy facing fourth-ranked Greece, who outclassed world No. 10 Brazil 17-5.
New Paper
a day ago
- New Paper
What is UNC3886? Inside the state-linked group attacking S'pore's critical information infrastructure
Singapore's critical information infrastructure has come under attack from cyber espionage group UNC3886. A state-linked advanced persistent threat (APT) actor, it is a menace to national security in many countries, including Singapore. Naming the nation's attacker for the first time on July 18, Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam said: "UNC3886 poses a serious threat to us, and has the potential to undermine our national security. Even as we speak, UNC3886 is attacking our critical infrastructure right now." What is UNC3886? Are essential services in Singapore safe from the attack? The Straits Times answers questions about the attack and APTs. 1. Who is UNC3886? First detected in 2022 by cyber security firm Mandiant, UNC3886 is a China-linked cyber espionage group. UNC3886's attempts are known to be persistent, with the intention of intelligence gathering and long-term spying. The "UNC" label stands for "uncategorised" or "unclassified" as industry analysts have not formally classified it. "This does not mean that it is any less of a threat," said Mr Shanmugam. 2. How does UNC3886 operate? Mr Vivek Chudgar, managing director of cyber security firm Mandiant Consulting in Asia Pacific and Japan, described UNC3886 as highly adept. "UNC3886 operates in a sophisticated, cautious and evasive nature," he said, adding that the group largely focuses on defence, technology and telecommunication organisations in the US and Asia. The Chinese espionage group is known to target network devices, virtualisation systems and critical information infrastructure with zero-day exploits. Zero-day exploits are attacks that take advantage of security vulnerabilities in software that vendors have yet to develop patches for. Unpatched vulnerabilities in the software of network devices, hypervisors, and virtual machines are typically harder to monitor, said Mr Chudgar. UNC3886 also employs custom malware and tools available on the victim's system to evade detection. Like other APT attackers, UNC3886 is persistent in that even if detected and removed from the network, it will attempt to re-enter the target networks. 3. What cyber attacks has UNC3886 been responsible for? Mr Chudgar said UNC3886 has attacked organisations in the United States, Europe, and parts of Asia. Specifically, it has targeted sectors such as government, telecommunication, technology, aerospace, defense, energy and utility. "UNC3886 poses a severe threat to national security for the organisations and the countries targeted," he added. The Chinese espionage group has exploited vulnerabilities in routers from Juniper Networks, network security devices from Fortinet and virtual machines from VMware. 4. Are essential services in Singapore safe from the attack? On July 18, the Cyber Security Agency said that UNC3886's activities have been detected in parts of Singapore's critical information infrastructure that power essential services. "We have been investigating UNC3886's activities," said CSA, which is leading the investigations. The agency said it is monitoring all critical services sectors and sharing threat intelligence, but did not name the affected sectors. Singapore's 11 critical services sectors are: energy, water, finance, healthcare, transport, government, infocomm, media as well as security and emergency services. The agency is also working closely with other government bodies and partners to support the unnamed affected organisations. CSA also did not say how long UNC3886 has been in the affected networks, saying instead: "These attacks are often protracted campaigns and CSA will need to preserve operational security by not disclosing further information at this stage." 5. What other APT attacks have hit Singapore? In 2014, the authorities detected a security breach in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' technology systems. Steps were taken to isolate the affected devices and the networks were strengthened following the discovery. In what was the first sophisticated attack against universities here, National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University discovered intrusions in their networks in 2017. No classified data or student personal data was stolen. But the attackers were believed to have targeted the two institutions to steal government and research data. The varsities were involved in government-linked projects for the defence, foreign affairs and transport sectors. Then in 2018, Singapore experienced its worst data breach involving the personal particulars of 1.5 million patients, including then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The attacker in the SingHealth breach was said to be persistent in its efforts to penetrate the network, bypass the security measures and illegally access and exfiltrate data. The attacker is believed to have lurked in the healthcare group's network for at least nine months. Its mission: to access SingHealth's electronic medical records system, a critical information infrastructure in Singapore. The unauthorised transfer of sensitive data took place in 2018. Most recently in 2024, about 2,700 devices in Singapore were discovered to have been infected after CSA took part in a cyber operation against a global botnet. APT hackers behind the botnet exploited poor cyber hygiene practices to infect devices, including baby monitors and internet routers. No critical information infrastructure was affected by the attack.
